Sound signature not for purists. No physical connections for audio playback. Expensive.

Bottom Line

The Google Assistant-enabled Harman Kardon Citation 300 holds its own in a growing field of smart speakers.

Harman Kardon's Citation lineup of smart speakers has multiple options, and at $399.95, the Citation 300 is among the biggest and priciest of the bunch. It's an attractive, thoughtfully designed speaker that's easy to operate and supports Google Assistant voice control. We like its rich bass depth and crisp highs, but there's a lot of sculpting here, and at top volumes, DSP (digital signal processing) can tamp down some of the deepest bass. It's a solid option in a growing field, though it doesn't particularly stand out in this price range.

Design

Available in black or gray models, the 7.1-by-12.1-by-5.6-inch (HWD) Citation 300 is wrapped in a flame-retardant, dirt-repellent fabric made by Kvadrat. The cloth grille hides dual 20mm tweeters and dual 89mm woofers from view, with each driver receiving 25 watts for a total 100-watt output.

The top panel is spare in its design. There's a small color display that's relatively sharp and responsive to touch. Album art displays when available, along with artist info, and the screen has controls for playback and track navigation (when not in use, it goes dark). Swiping up on the screen allows you access to the Bluetooth pairing button, the Settings menu, the Mic Mute function, and basic system information. There's also a Google Assistant button here, but you can of course summon the Assistant by using the "OK Google" trigger words when the mics are enabled. The mics work well, too—blasting a Queens of the Stone Age track, we were able to access Google Assistant easily without yelling.

Near the screen, there are plus/minus touch-sensitive buttons, as well as the aforementioned mics to pick up your voice for communicating with Google Assistant. The included power cable connects to a recessed panel in the back, which helps keep the cord mostly hidden from view, depending on how you place the speaker in a room. This panel also houses a reset button and a micro USB port for service, but there are no physical connections for audio sources.

Setup starts once you power the speaker up. The display walks you first through language selection, then linking your phone with the speaker via the Google Home app. It's as simple as searching for the Citation 300 within the app, then entering your Wi-Fi network information. Next you can add streaming accounts like Deezer, Google Play Music, Pandora, and Spotify. Once set up, you can control everything using Google Assistant, or you can Chromecast from compatible apps.

Of course, you can also stream via Bluetooth. This process is simple—just swipe up on the screen, press the Bluetooth button, pair with the speaker on your phone, computer, or tablet, and you're set. We would've like to have seen at least one physical connection so that streaming isn't the only option.

Performance

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the Citation 300 delivers serious thump, and at top volumes it doesn't distort. This speaker can get quite loud—and it's clear that the DSP is working hard on this track at top volumes, as the bass tends to thin out slightly. At moderate volumes, the bass feels fuller, and even at somewhat high volumes, it still packs plenty of depth and punch.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Citation 300's general sound signature. The drums on this track sound almost thunderous here, with a healthy dose of added low-mid richness gracing the vocals as well. The highs are also sculpted and boosted to match the lows, so there's a solid balance, but this is without a doubt a sound signature that will appeal to big bass lovers more than purists seeking accuracy.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punchiness—but it gets some added low frequency presence that makes the beat sound a bit heftier than usual. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are not nearly as heavily boosted, though—their sub-bass frequencies are once again tamped down by the DSP, especially at higher volumes. The vocals on this track are delivered with excellent clarity—there's no added sibilance, and things still sound crisp and clear, though the vocals sometimes sound like they're doing battle with the drum loop for the spotlight.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get some added low frequency presence, pushing the lower register instrumentation forward a bit in the mix. The main focus is still on the higher register brass, strings, and vocals, however—they have plenty of bright presence here, and are more anchored by the added lows than they are overpowered by them.

Conclusions

If you're shopping for a $400 speaker, you have options. Generally speaking, the Harman Kardon Citation 300 gets almost everything right—it's easy to use, with a screen that displays information in a clear, concise manner. The audio performance is strong, with rich bass and sculpted highs, and it sounds good whether it's blasting at high volumes or being used at more moderate levels. There's plenty of DSP in play here, but that's par for the course. That said, the Citation 300 doesn't particularly stand out. For the price, we prefer the Google Home Max, and the Marshall Stanmore II Voice offers Amazon Alexa voice control in addition to Google Assistant. If you're looking to save money, meanwhile, check out the Sonos One and the smaller Harman Kardon Citation One.

Harman Kardon Citation 300

Harman Kardon Citation 300

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